Zechariah 13:9 And I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested.  They will call upon my name, and I will answer them.  I will say, “They are my people”; and they will say, “The Lord is my God.”

I know this is a prophetic scripture, but there are aspects that we can apply to today as well.  There are times in life when it feels as though you are being put through the fire and you have a choice to make:  Will you hold steady in your faith and draw close to God saying, “The Lord is my God”, or will you get angry with Him and go your own way?

Let me just say, I have done both in my lifetime, and trust me, going your own way is definitely not the answer!  Why on earth do we ever decide that walking through difficulties in life is better walking without God and getting angry with Him because either our bad choices or someone else’s somehow in our minds fall on Him?  

When you go through the “fire” what will you choose?  My suggestion here from my own experience is to draw as close to Him as you can get!  Remember the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Daniel chapter 3. They were thrown into the fiery furnace because they would not bow down to the king and while they were in there the people outside could see someone in the fire with them, and when they came out of that fire they didn’t even smell like smoke. You can come through your fire knowing that you have been with Jesus, just like they were. Just cling to Him and ask Him to carry you when you need to be carried and walk with you when you need to walk!  Don’t push Him away during your times of greatest need!  Those ideas come straight from Hell!  God doesn’t want you to walk through life alone, whether it is during the good times or bad, He wants to be right there with you!  And here’s a thought; don’t just cling to Him through the bad times, include Him in the good as well! One of my favorite songs is: “Another In The Fire” by Hillsong

So, whether you are walking through the fire today or you may down the road, which choice will you make?  Do you want to come through it better or bitter?  Do you want to  allow God to be Lord of your life through it or do you really think you will somehow do better on your own?  Please, choose Him!  Cling to Him and allow Him to fill you with His strength and love, knowing that then you can know that His best is yet to come!  

Quote: “It’s in the struggle itself that you define yourself.”  ~ Pat Buchanan